Somewhat belatedly in life, I have started learning to read Hindi. I’m now over a week in and going strong. The turnaround has come thanks to a lesson on an app for teaching the Hindi alphabet to Urdu speakers. It’s much clearer, having the Urdu next to it instead of going via English or the […]
No MSG
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has banned monosodium glutamate. As someone said on Reddit, clearly one of the judges must have received a Whatsapp forward. I mean… I often feel a bit funny after food with lots of MSG, and I consider it a really poor crutch, but I don’t see the courts banning tobacco.
Never forget
I was woken in the night, rather unusually, by the sound of voices and music from an adjacent flat. The song, from the very first words, tugged at my memory, it was definitely something from my teenage years, something that I had not been fond of, nor disliked, but it was ubiquitous and had sunk […]
Slightly out of date, but…
According to the members, film with “taboo” subjects such as menstruation will not be allowed screening in Pakistan. The Federal Censor Board also denied issuing an NOC to PadMan and announced a ban on the Akshay Kumar-starrer in all cinemas across the country. On the other hand, film distributors were also criticised by the local […]
In the general labour ward
Here I am in Fatima Memorial, the general labour ward. The Maulvi’s wife has had a miserable time of it as apparently she gets debilitating nausea whenever she is pregnant and, despite my uncharitable words, she is very distressed about her condition. The last baby was born in the medical centre in their village in […]
Back to the hospital
Seemingly I can’t have a trip to Lahore without a spot of caregiving. The Maulvi Sahib is a longstanding employee in the home – he worked for my mother’s business, loved her like a son, and stayed on after she died. He eventually brought his wife and burgeoning family to Lahore, where he cares for […]
Bhaturas on an icy day
It rained and thundered all night and the day was overcast and unusually breezy for Lahore. As such it has been quite cold and I have cracked out my only pair of socks, the cashmere socks I always take on long flights. I have today completed the task I came to Lahore for; it required […]
Heroes die
Asma Jehangir has died. She was hated and despised and dismissed by many, she was called foul names, she was obnoxious and unpleasant, and she was one of the greatest children this sorry country has produced. It’s hard to articulate the despair her death brings.
Done
Did what I had come to Lahore to do, some dealings with banks and lawyers. It took about 50 signatures and thumb prints, both rather tedious. My signature is variable at the best of times. The ink stain on my thumb, on the other hand, is the opposite of variable.as it has not shifted despite […]
Magic tricks
The Hutchbustle birthday party came and went. I went with perhaps my closest friend, Lady Lala. We first stopped in Main Market at Jalal Sons (a large shop recently in the news for a massive fine for mixing dye into their daal to make it appear fresher) where I bought a basketball and hoop and […]